It is said the good news about God is that Jesus came to earth to save us from going to hell. Without the Bible I doubt few would think a loving God would create such a place as hell. It is claimed all you have to do is confess certain beliefs to get a pass to heaven. Jesus’ agenda in the Bible actually appears not to push certain beliefs but convey that God loves you and seeks to help you be a more loving person. What is God saving us from? See here.
The bad news about God may not be true.
God is claimed to be a hellish sadist, but the traditional understanding of Hell doesn’t exist in the Bible. God is claimed to be a homophobe, but a loving God couldn’t possibly condemn gays when they can no more choose who they are attracted to than straights can? God is claimed to be a sexist, but God wouldn’t put men in leadership position over women which has encouraged dominance on the man’s part leading to atrocities women face at the hands of men. For additional possible lies about God see here.
But don’t you believe the Bible?
Biblical scholars who respect the authority of the Bible actually don’t agree on their interpretations. Some defend the above positions; others defend to the contrary. For example see here.We are forced to choose between plausible interpretations. Which interpretation is best to choose? Choose understandings of God with the fewest negative human consequences. Err on the side that doesn’t contradict your intuitive sense of a loving God. You are free to choose the most loving way.
The good news is God surely loves in ways God’s creations sense they ought to love others.
Only a perfectly good or loving God is worth believing in. Such a statement is nonsensical if we are clueless about perfect love. The Bible implies we can understand God’s love because perfect human love and God’s love are the same: “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Parent is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). Do you wish to be shown mercy, be given second chances, to be forgiven for your regrets no matter how many times you fail, to be encouraged to be the person you deep down desire to be? Do you think you should show the same behaviors to others? Good news – God is a better lover than we are!
The truth is we can’t prove that God exist or doesn’t exist. Either belief takes faith. If a Creator does exist, most agree only a perfectly good or loving God is worth believing in. Surely a Creator love in ways God’s creations sense they ought to love others.
There are moral reasons to doubt or question God though there may be an explanation.
Laws in the Bible proclaimed by Moses supposedly came from God. Deut. 22: 28-29 says: If a man happens to meet a virgin…and rapes her…He must marry the young women, for he has violated her. Did God really encourage a woman being required to marry her rapist? But maybe God didn’t inspire this law; only humans believed God thought this was a good law.
God seems to intervene in the world very little based on the amount of evil present. Can there be a plausible reason? Maybe God can’t control or violate freedom and love perfectly. Divine love limits divine power. Maybe God can only stop evil with others freely helping. See God Can’t by Thomas Oord.
God is neither audible or visible and God certainly hasn’t made it crystal clear what we are to believe about God. Are there plausible reasons for such uncertainty? See here.
Where has certainty gotten us?
It is logical to suggest we can’t be certain what an invisible, inaudibly God thinks, but supposed certainty has led to justifying slavery and other atrocities. Certainty has led to condemning gays, though scholars who accept Scriptures as authoritative, don’t agree the Bible disapproves of same-gender loving, monogamous, consensual relationships. Women, though gifted, are denied entrance into the priesthood or pastorate in God’s name. Uncertainty not certainty about God, unless talking about beheading infidels, protects against imposing beliefs on others in God’s name. We need honest, open dialogue as we continually evaluate what a loving God would truly be like.
Doubt or question away!
For whatever reason some are inclined to believe there was a Creator in the beginning and not others. If you are the former, don’t believe everything you hear claimed about God. Consider for yourself what a perfect, loving God would be truly like. Challenge God to reveal themselves to you as tangibly as possible. Still doubt! Not a problem with God. Being so damn certain may bother God more.
Whether you believe there is a God or Supreme Deity is a personal decision. I can’t always tell you why some are readily inclined to believe in such a Being and others aren’t. I don’t consider either a personality flaw. I can tell you a God many don’t care to believe in. See here. Don’t believe everything you hear!
Believe what the Bible says about God…….…………..NOT!
Many when describing God begin: “The Bible says…..” They possibly believe God inspired all of the Bible thus approved everything written about God. But others would argue God didn’t necessarily inspired every word due to God’s uncontrolling nature. Neither can claim certainty. We also must recognize that biblical scholars don’t always agree what the writer meant about the same passage. Read the Bible to contemplate what a loving God may be really like.
How can we understand what God’s love is like?
An imperfect unloving God is not worth believing in. The best way to talk about what a perfect loving God is like may be by comparing to perfect human love. A Creator surely loves in ways God’s creations sense they ought to love others. I don’t know any reasonable God or non-God person that doesn’t respect the golden rule in relationships. Rational people don’t always agree what is our moral obligation concerning immigration, climate change, abortion, health care, taxes, or responding to evil dictators that murder their own people, but civil dialogue allows evaluating challenges to discover what different views have in common.
So, anything goes?
C’mon! Who doesn’t believe physical or sexual abuse is wrong? Certain beliefs are universal. Ask a terrorist if you can rape their partner. If it clearly violates the golden rule, it doesn’t pass the “love” test. What does your loving sense tell you if women can serve in the same roles as men if similarly gifted? About gays? Why would anyone choose a lifestyle subject to bigotry and hostility? Do straights wake up one day and decide to be attracted to the opposite sex? Gays neither of the same sex. Are you believing and treating others like you want to be treated if in their shoes?
Even Bible-believing Christians suggest trusting your moral intuitions.
Christians often say God’s spirit (aka Holy Spirit) does or can reside within you. Unless the Spirit talks to you audibly or visibly, we can only discern the Spirit’s voice by examining our intuitions. We can’t always be certain how to best love, but we can strive to love others like we want to be loved. Unless you are a totally self-centered human being, believe about God what makes loving sense to you!
I didn’t leave God. I left misrepresentations of what God was claimed to be like. An unloving God isn’t worth believing in. I was turning out to be a better lover than God, and I am a sucky lover.
Predestination was being taught in my early twenties. Does God actually choose (elect) some to go to heaven and the rest go to Hell? A loving God couldn’t be prejudice!
I struggled being taught women had to be more submissive to men than men to women. What a set up for abuse. Then, I got married to a woman who didn’t need a go-between with her and God, and she didn’t need any man making final decisions when there was an impasse. God couldn’t be a sexist?
Then I had kids. I had always been taught spanking was biblical. This hothead didn’t need permission to hit a child rather than being creative with those little boggers. We never spanked our children and none ended up in prison. You would as proud of them and their partners as I am.
Hell NO! Why would a loving God torture anyone forever since such pain serves no lasting purpose? Humans wouldn’t even create such a place for their worst enemies. Such a place may be only imagined because of a Book. Why I Doubt Hell Is Real! God couldn’t be a hellish/sadistic torturer!
It makes no sense to me why God would condemn gays when they can no more choose who they love than straights can. Just ask straights or gays. God couldn’t be a homophobe!
The Bible couldn’t be about saving people from a non-existing Hell. Jesus didn’t try to get people to say a magical prayer or confess certain beliefs to escape Hell. Jesus challenged us to look out for the interests of others than just our own. See here. One’s religion, or rebellion against a certain religion, is often based on the family born into whether it is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. Is God a God of chance? God couldn’t be a xenophobe!
Finally, I let go of the idea that God controlled or always approved writers’ thoughts and words to form a book we call the Bible. Sometimes the writers got God right; sometimes the writers may have gotten God wrong. Don’t we all. Some of the above views of God could only come from a supposed every-word inspired, Book. At least don’t claim your interpretations are inspired also.
I became convinced there are certain representations of God that must be true if loving. See here. I don’t claim certainty because God hasn’t spoken to me audibly or visibly, but I got a strong hunch many beliefs about God I was taught in Christianity are suspect.
I have harped on the Bible enough. I don’t hate that the Bible was written. I hate how the Bible is viewed thus used to mistreat others. It matters how you read ancient literature in the context of current relationships. I will be brief. You can see my railings HERE.
At least biblical scholars are questioning if the authors always depicted what God is truly like. Good thing! How the hell should we understand when reading God supposedly ordered killing boys and non-virgin women but sparing virgins (Num. 31:18)? Did God really expect young woman to watch their mothers, sisters, and brothers murdered by men who one day may expect marriage or sex? I’m not buying any rationalization. There is a better way to understand the Bible.
Some of these same scholars keep insisting though God inspired the Bible. They can’t let it go! They might suggest the Bible can be inspired but God accommodates less than perfect views written about God because humans can’t handle the truth. So, which passages reveal the real God? In my last post I suggested here which interpretation may be best.
The problem is that most think God inspired means God’s approval. No one can prove God controlled every word and the minds of the biblical writers/editors when they were portraying God. Anyway, the idea of an inspired Book has led down the slippery slope of implying one’s interpretation is inspired. Few admit their understanding of a passage may be wrong. This has led to mistreating gays, women, those with different beliefs, etc.
The Bible can be viewed as recorded experiences of beginnings with God and Israel culminating with the life of Jesus that we don’t possess in any other documents. Writings about God can keep us talking and reflecting what God is really like. God didn’t necessarily have in mind that recordings wouldn’t be questioned. Universal moral outrage and agreement on the golden rule hint a Creator expects us to consider our moral intuitions.
We have every right to question interpretations that suggest a Creator doesn’t love how we were seemingly created to love others. We must use our moral, loving sense.
Done!
Feel free to disagree civilly, so we can at least have a discussion.
Keith Giles suggest another interpretation of Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Matthew’s Gospel that perhaps you haven’t considered. See here. It is a very realistic interpretation. Keep in mind no one can claim their interpretation is the correct one. The author isn’t available to ask what they meant nor is God writing in the sky lately. We would just twist the words in the sky to mean what we wanted them to mean than using loving sense.
Which interpretation on an issue may be best? See here.
“Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” [Matt. 19:9]
Jesus was speaking to men who had all the power. They could divorce women for whatever reason whenever they wanted. Women basically had no rights. Women were even more powerless when it came to opportunities to support themselves.
Jesus said what he did to protect women! Jesus was saying: Men, you can’t just do whatever the hell you want when getting married. This is why the disciple responded to Jesus’ statement – then it might be better to not marry (v. 10). Men, start acting like true lovers and not looking for ways out of your commitment if not for the right reasons!
My point is not to suggest the Bible should be read as a rules book or condemn those who have regrets in their past. Just don’t use the Bible to lead to further abuse of women at the hands of men. Don’t advise as if all relational circumstances are the same. Use loving sense! God may be speaking to you. Women, if in danger by all means run! Take care of yourself.
Many of us go through life with a very low opinion of ourselves. Often it is due to what we hear others say about us. What actually is our identity in this world? Many of us as christians are told that we are just poor sinners saved by grace and that we are no more than a worm deserving of hell.
Yet Jesus has something very different to say. It is time to ignore what people tell us we are based on beliefs, or a label we wear or for whatever reason people come up with and listen to what is written in the bible. Stop listening to others and focus on what Jesus tells us we are. Following are some verses that tell us what we are in Christ:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:15)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:17)
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6)
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us [a]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20)
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)
So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4:7)
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. (Ephesians 1:4)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:13)
He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him (Colossians 1:22)
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10)
We have been set apart as holy because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do by sacrificing his body once and for all (Hebrews 10:10)
You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)
Just a few verses from the bible that put emphasis on what we are called to do, and that is love one another. Does not mean we always agree, does not mean we do not have different views and opinions. Yet we can accept one another, grant the same equal rights, respect and human dignity to everyone through love.
Notice these verses do not say this pertains only to those who think the same, look the same, believe the same or worship the same. It applies to all human beings no matter what label they wear, such as man/woman, black/white, gay/straight, democrat/republican, no matter what nationality, no matter what religion, gender or race. We are only called to love one another.
Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Matthew 22:37-40
And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
Mark 12:30,31
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:17
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Romans 13:8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
1 Corinthians 10:24
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all that you do be done in love.
Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Ephesians 4:2
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works
1 Peter 1:22
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart
1 John 3:11
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us
1 John 4:7, 8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:16
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 John 4:19,20,21
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
2 John 1:5
And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
In the Christian world today there are many, many people who are well known and educated in the Bible and religion. Pastors, evangelists and big-named TV evangelists are so numerous we cannot remember them all. People have their favorites and sometimes even argue about which one is the best and should be listened to the most.
For me personally, I am getting tired of all the big-named, well known pastors and evangelists giving me their views and opinions and telling me what God is saying. I have pretty well stopped listening to people and try to focus on hearing the voice of the Spirit of God who lives within me.
Obviously, we all have an opinion and a view and there is nothing wrong with listening to others to get their viewpoints. The problem is that most of the time we put our full faith in what other people say. There is no need to put such faith in another person. Jesus said when he left earth that he was sending us a comforter, one who would guide is into all truth and we would need no man (or woman) to teach us.
Listen to those to whom you value their knowledge and understanding, yet do not put complete and total faith into anyone. Seek the still, quiet voice of the Spirit of God from within and rely on the Spirit to teach and guide you in your daily walk with God.
So many followers of Christ today live like they are under the old covenant. Most traditional churches seem to place more emphasis on the old covenant and rule following.
We have been brought up in the religious system that seems more like a corporation rather than a community where the priesthood of all believers should be the norm. The church has a pastor, elders and deacons just like a corporation has a CEO, board of directors and operating committee.
We still have the mind-set that we are living in the old way of doing things. A lot of us still think the church is a building we gather in and listen to a ‘chosen few’ tell us what God is saying.
We tell each other to ‘have a good Lord’s day’, thinking Sunday is the chosen day to set aside to worship God and to rest.
We look to the bible like it is part of the trinity and we worship it and use it for all kinds of rule keeping, judging and condemning others.
We tithe ten percent to the church, thinking God requires it from us and if we do not give the tithe we are robbing God.
Jesus completed the old covenant and brought it to an end. He made a new covenant with his creation, which we are now living under.
Jesus is building his Church, which is made up of people not brick and mortar. It is a community of believers with Christ as the head and each of us are equal, participating members. Now that may happen anywhere and anytime, in a building, in a house, in a park, a restaurant and so on. The fact is that Church is not an organized meeting in a set place at a set time, but it is a fellowship and relationship among fellow believers, no matter if there are only two or three.
Each and every day is the day the Lord has made. Every day is holy and for resting in the work God has already done. The idea that the seventh day is holy is just not true in the New Covenant.
The bible is the inspired by God. Although God inspired men to write, it is still a book written by men. It is the Spirit that gives life and meaning to those words. If the Spirit is not enlightening us and teaching us the words do not have life. Jesus is the living, all powerful, inerrant Word of God and he lives within us by his Spirit.
Tithing was a law given to the Jews in the old covenant. It is no longer part of the new covenant. Giving out of love as the Spirit leads is the way we now live. God does not need our money, but giving to those who do, out of love is a way that is pleasing to God and a help to others.
It is disappointing that many continue to teach the old covenant way to believers today, although it is understandable. All of us alive today do not know anything different since this has been taught for hundreds of years. Not until the Spirit opens our eyes and leads us in His truth do we see this new way of living by his grace.
Seek God’s truth, ask the Spirit for guidance. Do not be condemning and argumentative towards fellow believers who see things differently, but be open to what God shows you. Do not be close-minded and continue to do things just because that is the way we have always done them.
The Spirit is within us and he is our guide into all truth. Be open to hear his voice and follow in the way he leads you. Do not be condemning towards your brothers and sisters in Christ who follow a different path. It is the same spirit that leads us, and we are all called to love one another.
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Done with Religion 